Overcoming Hurdles – Blyth MAG

Blyth MAG have taken some bad knocks but it’s made them stronger

Blyth MAG has been involved with many charity events in the last few years, from raising money for NABD, to delivering Easter Eggs to Hospitals and Old People’s homes. Our group was asked to help out the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Macmillan Cancer care. We decided to make this a tribute to Jude Douglas and John William Southern.

Jude was one of life’s characters who was diagnosed terminally ill in November 2012. Sadly we lost her in January this year. John was one of our other livelier members in the group and was tragically killed in an accident in Selkirk in the summer. Along with Neil Hamilton, we have lost three members this year which is extremely sad.

Our original venue for the event was the Blake Arms in Seghill. Everything was set, the large poster added to the front of the pub was there, the Blyth Valley MAG poster was there and even the posters, prepared by my own fair hands, were posted in the pub and around the village. Just two weeks before the event disaster struck. One of our members, while on a ride out, commented on the fact that the Blake Arms had put on their Face book page that they were shutting down with immediate effect due to issues beyond their control.

So me and one of my best henchmen, Barry Anderson, headed the 50 miles back to the Blake to find out what was going on. When we arrived, the pub had pretty much been stripped. Katie and Martin the proprietors explained what had gone on. This left Blyth MAG with an event but no venue? Time to panic? I think not; it’s not Blyth MAG’s style. After a few phone calls another venue was found, courtesy of the Pineapple Pub in North Shields, whose landlord came to our rescue in our hour of need. The posters were taken down from the Blake and taken to the Pineapple pub.

Once there the proprietors, Debbie and Scott, helped organise the day, along with the Granny’s Angels from a local care home. A great bunch of ladies who did their utmost to help us on the day. Liz Southern, whose dad John, a member of our group, was tragically killed earlier this year, raffled off an extremely large cup cake. Star of the show was Mary, wife of our Vice Rep John Mathews, who baked and breaded her pants off for three days to provide all sorts of goodies from cakes, scones, biscuits and sandwiches to sell at the coffee morning.

On the day we were lucky enough to have a warm and sunny day, progress was slow to begin with, but the fact that we had a few bikes there from Blyth MAG members helped bring in the crowds. There was a charity car wash manned by us which raised £40 or so at £5 a shot. There were also books, toys, face painting and many other things going on. From 11am until 2pm we had a steady influx of people of all ages. In total, £645 was raised from everything that went on.

A big thanks must go to not only the Grannies Angels, but Debbie and Scott and all the staff of the Pineapple pub in North Shields. Thanks also to all the Blyth MAG members who participated on the day. It definitely was a Grand Day Out.